NBN explained
Which NBN connection is best, and which one have you got?
Fibre to the premises is the best NBN connection, because nothing but fibre runs to the house. Every other type finishes on older cable, and how well it works depends on that cable. Here is how to tell which one you have, what each one means, and what you can do about it.
On this page
The short answer
Fibre to the premises (FTTP) is the best NBN connection. Fibre runs all the way from the network to a box inside your home, with no old phone line or pay TV cable anywhere in the path. It takes the fastest plans, and it is not bothered by rain, heat or distance.
Since September 2025 the gap is wider. On fibre to the premises and HFC, NBN raised its two most common plans well past the speeds in their names and added a faster one, and fibre to the node and fibre to the curb were not part of it. The figures are on our NBN speed test page.
Every other fixed-line type uses fibre for most of the trip and then hands over to an older cable for the last part. The more old cable in your line, and the worse its condition, the more there is to go wrong. Roughly in order:
- Fibre to the premises (FTTP). Fibre all the way. The one to have.
- HFC. Fibre to the street, then the pay TV cable network to the house. Fast, and shared with the street.
- Fibre to the curb (FTTC). Fibre to the pit outside, then your own phone line for the last stretch.
- Fibre to the building (FTTB). Fibre to the basement of a unit block, then the building’s own phone wiring to each unit. As good as that wiring.
- Fibre to the node (FTTN). Fibre to a cabinet in the neighbourhood, then the old phone line the rest of the way. The longest run of old copper, so the most variable.
That order is a guide, not a rule. A fibre to the node house close to its cabinet with sound wiring can run well for years. A fibre to the curb house with four old phone sockets still on the line can drop out daily. The type sets the ceiling. The condition of the cable decides what you actually get, and finding out which part of it is failing is what an independent NBN technician tests on site.
The NBN connection types side by side
| Type | What runs to your home | What is on the wall inside | What plugs into it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre to the premises (FTTP) | Fibre, all the way | A white NBN box fixed to the wall, with a thin fibre lead | Your router, by a network cable |
| HFC | The pay TV cable network | A small NBN box on a round, screw-on cable socket | Your router, by a network cable |
| Fibre to the curb (FTTC) | Your phone line, from the pit in the street | A small white NBN box plugged into a phone socket. It clicks when it starts | Your router, by a network cable |
| Fibre to the building (FTTB) | The building's phone wiring, from the basement | A phone socket. No NBN box | A modem made for this kind of line (VDSL2) |
| Fibre to the node (FTTN) | Your phone line, from a cabinet in the neighbourhood | A phone socket. No NBN box | A modem made for this kind of line (VDSL2) |
Two other types cover places the fixed lines do not reach: fixed wireless, which uses an antenna on the roof pointed at a tower, and satellite. Neither is common in Sydney.
How to tell which NBN connection you have
You can usually tell from what is on the wall.
Pick the one that looks like your wall, and the answer shows here.
Fibre to the premises (FTTP)
A white box fixed to the wall, with a thin cable going in and a power supply beside it.
What fibre to the premises means for youHFC
A box connected to a round socket with a screw-on cable, the same kind a pay TV box used.
How HFC works, and where it slowsFibre to the curb (FTTC)
A small white box plugged into a phone socket and a power point, that clicks after a power cut.
Fibre to the curb, and why the box clicksFibre to the building (FTTB), most likely
No NBN box, and the modem plugged into a phone socket, in a unit.
Fibre to the building, and who owns which partFibre to the node (FTTN)
No NBN box, and the modem plugged into a phone socket, in a house.
Fibre to the node, and why distance mattersCheck your address
NBN's address checker names the technology at your address and says whether an upgrade to fibre is available.
Use NBN's address checker (opens in a new tab) See your street on NBN Co's rollout map
- A white box fixed to the wall, with a thin cable going in and a power supply beside it. Fibre to the premises.
- A box connected to a round socket with a screw-on cable, the same kind a pay TV box used. HFC.
- A small white box plugged into a phone socket and a power point, that clicks after a power cut. Fibre to the curb.
- No NBN box, a modem plugged into a phone socket, in a house. Fibre to the node.
- No NBN box, a modem plugged into a phone socket, in a unit. Fibre to the building, most likely.
To be certain, put your address into NBN’s address checker (opens in a new tab). It names the technology at your address and tells you whether an upgrade to fibre is available. It is the first thing we ask people to do on the phone, because the rest of the conversation depends on the answer. Once you know your type, what the lights on your NBN box mean is the next thing worth knowing.
What each one means for you
Fibre to the premises (FTTP)
Nothing but fibre between the network and the NBN box on your wall. It takes the fastest plans, and weather, distance and old phone wiring do not affect it. When a fibre to the premises home has slow or patchy internet, the cause is nearly always after the box: where the box was put, the router, or WiFi that does not reach the rooms you use. More in the fibre to the premises upgrade explained.
HFC
Fibre to your street, then the coaxial cable network that was built for pay TV. It takes fast plans and distance matters little. The connection is shared with nearby homes, so it can slow in the evening, and its weak points are the fittings, splitters and isolator on the cable. More in what HFC is.
Fibre to the curb (FTTC)
Fibre to a small unit in the pit outside, then your own phone line into the house. The copper run is short, so it is steadier than fibre to the node. The box inside powers the unit in the street, which is why it clicks. Old phone sockets still connected inside the house are the usual cause of trouble. More in what fibre to the curb is.
Fibre to the building (FTTB)
Fibre to the basement or communications room of a unit block, then the building’s own phone wiring up to each unit. How good it is depends on that wiring and on the frame it passes through, and three different parties own different parts of the line. More in what fibre to the building is.
Fibre to the node (FTTN)
Fibre to a cabinet in the neighbourhood, then the old phone line all the way to your socket. The longer and older that line, the slower and less stable the service. It cannot take the fastest plans. More in what fibre to the node is.
Can you change your NBN connection type?
You cannot pick a type, and changing provider does not change it. The type is whatever NBN built in your street.
What has changed is the upgrade. NBN has been replacing the copper types with fibre. In September 2025 it began the final stage for fibre to the node, which aims to offer fibre to the premises to more than 95% of the roughly 622,000 homes and businesses still on it. And since 1 July 2026, a home on fibre to the curb no longer needs a high-speed plan to order the upgrade. Whether your address is eligible, and on what terms, is NBN’s to say: the address checker tells you.
The people who ring us show the change. In 2017 nearly half of them were still on ADSL, the phone line internet from before the NBN. Now more than half are on fibre to the premises.
What our callers are on, 2017 to 2026
More than half the people who ring us are now on fibre to the premises, up from under one in five in 2017.
Each figure is the share of calls in that year where the caller knew their connection type (109 in 2017, 192 in 2019, 290 in 2021, 158 in 2023, 347 in 2024 to 26). A year does not add up to 100 because the rest of those callers were on fixed wireless or satellite. The last point is 2024 to 2026 together.
| Year | FTTP | FTTC | HFC | FTTN | FTTB | ADSL | Calls counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 18% | 1% | 17% | 14% | 0% | 49% | 109 |
| 2019 | 22% | 24% | 29% | 9% | 1% | 14% | 192 |
| 2021 | 33% | 26% | 21% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 290 |
| 2023 | 44% | 13% | 25% | 11% | 4% | 0% | 158 |
| 2024 to 26 | 54% | 14% | 17% | 6% | 6% | 1% | 347 |
Source: our own call records, counted in September 2026. Totals only: no caller, address or job is in these figures.
If you can upgrade, the part worth thinking about before the installer arrives is where the new box goes, because the box decides where your router sits and how good the WiFi is in the rooms you use. That is what our FTTP upgrade page is about.
Check your speed first Test on a cable at the modem first, then on WiFi in the room that is slow. If the cable result is close to your plan, the connection type is not your problem.The connection type is only half the story
The type tells you what the line can do. It does not tell you what is happening inside the house, and that is where a lot of faults turn out to be, or turn out not to be. Thinking of leaving the NBN altogether? How NBN compares with 5G and Starlink starts from the connection type you have.
On the copper types, the wiring inside your home is part of the line, and testing it is the work of an internet technician. Old phone sockets still connected to it, a corroded joint or a cheap wall plate can drag a good service down. On fibre and HFC the line stops at the NBN box, and the box’s position, the router and the WiFi decide the rest.
It also works the other way. People are often told the fault is in their home’s wiring when it is not. We looked at that across our own filmed jobs, and the results are in our study of NBN faults and internal wiring. If the problem is speed rather than dropouts, why your NBN is slow sorts it with three quick tests, and when the line itself needs proving, book an NBN technician to test it to the boundary.
We counted eleven years of our own enquiries to see how this has changed. In 2017, half were on ADSL. Now more than half are on fibre to the premises.
Frequently asked questions
Am I on FTTP or FTTN?
Look at what is on the wall. Fibre to the premises has a white NBN box fixed to the wall inside, with a thin fibre lead going into it, and your modem plugs into that box. Fibre to the node has no NBN box at all: your modem plugs straight into a phone socket. NBN's address checker confirms it.
Can I choose which NBN connection type I get?
No. The type is set by what NBN built in your street, not by your provider or your plan. What you can often do is upgrade. NBN began the final stage of its fibre to the node upgrades in September 2025, and since 1 July 2026 a home on fibre to the curb no longer needs a high-speed plan to order the upgrade to fibre to the premises. NBN's address checker says whether yours is eligible.
Which provider has the best plan for my connection type?
We do not sell plans or rank providers, so we will not name one. Every provider sells access to the same NBN line into your home, so the line itself does not change when you switch. What differs is the price, the support, the modem they supply and how busy their own network gets in the evening.
Is HFC better than fibre to the node?
For most homes, yes. HFC can take faster plans than fibre to the node, and its speed does not fall away with distance the way a long copper line does. HFC has its own weak points, mostly at the fittings and the isolator on the cable, and it slows when the street is busy.
Need this fixed rather than explained?
This is written from the field. When the fault needs a technician on site, this is where to go next.